The reveal of Doctor Connors being The Lizard was still settling in on everyone's mind. Carlos looked very much distraught at the fact that his good friend had become a monstrous creature. Stella was disheartened in learning about what happened to Doctor Connors. Adelaide was still grieving the animals while Sid comforted her sister.
In the middle of it all, Lincoln was deep in thought, wondering how to fix this developing situation. The monster he was hunting and aiming to defeat was a highly esteemed doctor and a good friend to the Casagrandes.
"So, what now?" Ronnie Anne asked. "What are we going to do about Doctor Connors?"
"Hard to say, I mean, the fact that he could turn into such a dangerous creature," Carlos lamented.
"Well, you mentioned that he was trying to cure his missing limb, correct?" Lincoln asked.
"Yes, his goals would have been for a great benefit," Carlos said.
"At least that shows that he didn't want to use this transformation for malicious intent, it's just an unfortunate side effect," Lincoln said.
"Of course, he would never hurt an innocent person," Carlos said. "Not intentionally of course."
"The lizard transformation must be messing with his mind," Lincoln theorized. "Making him act like a wild animal so to speak."
"Could there be a way to cure him?" Sid asked. "Get him back to normal?"
"It's possible, if we know what he used to make his formula, we can whip up an antidote and free him from his lizard form," Carlos said.
"Then not only would he be saved, but the city won't have to worry about this lizard problem afterward!" Ronnie Anne said. "It's a win-win!"
"One problem though," Lincoln said. "We need to work fast, because right now, Kraven the Hunter is out there trying to find Doctor Connors, and I don't think he intends to have a friendly spar."
"Oh right, he could actually kill him," Ronnie Anne said.
"We won't let that happen," Carlos said. "I will work on a cure."
"Can I help?" Sid asked. "I'm more for tech science then chemical science, but I could be your assistant."
"Sorry Sid, but this could be dangerous and I'd rather you not risk getting hurt," Carlos said.
"Aw...that's a bummer," Sid lamented.
"I might be able to help a little as well," Lincoln said.
"Oh, are you a scientist?" Carlos asked.
"Sort of, it's more of a hobby for me," Lincoln said, then fired from his web shooter. "Plus these webs didn't make themselves."
"Still find it strange that you can't make your own webs naturally," Sid said. "At least it won't come out of your-"
"I know where the webs might come out!" Lincoln was quick to say, trying to ignore Stella's stifled laughter.
"Let's focus on making a cure for Doctor Connors before that Kraven dude gets to him first," Ronnie Anne suggested.
"Alright, Spider-Man and I will go over to Curt's apartment, see if any notes he may have left behind could help," Carlos said. "You kids stay at the apartment while I call my sister and Mrs. Chang to help, along with Arturo."
"Even my dad? Wow, this sounds big," Ronnie Anne said.
"It is, for now just stay here," Carlos instructed.
"We'll keep an eye on them sir," Lori said. "Go see what you can find out at Doctor Connor's place."
"Be sure to avenge all those poor innocent animals in that apartment too," Bobby said. "For Adelaide's sake."
"My mommy and daddy are going to be so disappointed, "Adelaide said, the girl still in tears.
"It'll be alright," Carlota said, kneeling beside the girl. "Spider-Man will get justice for your animals."
"Yes, I promise that I will," Lincoln insisted.
"For now, just stay with us where it's safer," Carlota said.
"Maybe you can call Lana, you always enjoy talking to her," Sid said.
"Oh yeah, and I know Lana enjoys talking to you too," Lori said. "Plus it's good to keep her updated, let her know you're safe."
"Alright," Adelaide said.
"We got this Uncle Carlos," Bobby said. "Spider-Man, go save the world."
"Sure, you got it," Lincoln said, then turned to Carlos. "Let's go sir."
"Right behind you," Carlos said, following Lincoln.
"Speaking of your sisters, how would Lisa react to something like this?" Stella asked.
"She'd just be curious more than anything, wouldn't be surprised if she eventually found out," Lincoln replied, low enough out of earshot of anyone. "She's more interested in a surgeon named Stephen Strange though."
"Oh right, no one's seen him in forever, wonder where he went?" Stella wondered. "Well one doctor at a time I guess, hopefully things go well."
Unfortunately for them, things weren't looking good for The Lizard, as he had been spotted by Kraven in the local park.
"The mighty hunter has cornered his prey," Kraven said, moving in stealthily as he held his sword out.
He took his moment to lunge but The Lizard was quick to notice and knocked Kraven back, sending him flying.
"Clever move," Kraven said, flipping back onto his feet. "But not clever enough to defeat me!"
Kraven placed his sword away and unsheathed a pair of daggers, rushing in to strike and trying to bring The Lizard down, though his opponent was a lot more swift and agile than he had expected, finding it hard to land strikes.
"You will not be getting away from me!" Kraven shouted, swinging his dagger and cutting The Lizard in the face, briefly stunning his opponent.
"Insolent fool," The Lizard whacked Kraven away with his tail, the hunter landing and pulling his bow and arrow out, immediately piercing The Lizard in the chest. Kraven then rushed in again and jammed both daggers into his chest, the transformed scientist screaming out in pain.
"You will fall before my power!" Kraven shouted, ready to bring out his sword. Lizard however punched Kraven down. As the hunter attempted to stand, The Lizard slashed him with his claws, leaving a bad scar across his chest.
"You foolish human!" The Lizard was about to strike again but subconsciously held himself back. "Must...resist...violence..."
Upon recovering, Kraven noticed the creature's hesitation, and used his sword to strike, cutting his opponent's right arm off. The Lizard was quick to knock Kraven back again, sending him flying through a tree as he made his retreat.
Kraven slowly but surely stood up, the hunter now feeling very frustrated. "How dare you! No one makes a fool out of me and lives!" He grabbed his weapons and prepared to continue the hunt.
Meanwhile Lincoln and Carlos had gone to Doctor Connors's apartment, along with Maria, Arturo and Becca, the latter holding something covered by a blanket, stopping just before the front door.
"Let me be the one to break the news to Martha about her husband," Carlos said.
"I will," Lincoln said. "I can't imagine she'll take this well."
The group knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. Within minutes, Martha had answered, surprised to see so many visitors. "Carlos? Spider-Man? And...everyone else?"
"Good to see you Martha, may we come in?" Carlos asked.
"Sure, but what is this about?" Carlos asked.
"It's better if we explain it inside," Maria said.
"Alright then," Martha said, then called into the kitchen. "Billy, we have guests!"
"Okay mom!" Billy called.
Lincoln had gone inside to see Billy Connors playing on a portable gaming device, "He looks a bit older than I am."
"Hello Billy, how are you?" Carlos asked.
"Mr. Casagrande? I'm fine," Billy said, then took note of another visitor, a sight that greatly surprised him. "No way, are you Spider-Man?"
"Yeah, that's me," Lincoln said. "The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
"Are you here to find my dad?" Billy asked.
"Yeah...I am," Lincoln awkwardly stated.
"Have you found any leads?" Martha asked. "Do you know where that monster could have taken him?"
"We found something out, but the answer may not be a pleasant one," Carlos said.
Martha's heart sank, "What's wrong?"
"I know I'm asking for a lot right now but I need you to try and remain as calm as you can," Carlos said. "Rest assure, your husband is alive."
"Alive? That's good...but, what could be unpleasant?" Martha asked.
"It's just that...well, it had to do with his science experiment and his formula to regrow limbs," Carlos said. "He needed lizard DNA to do so since Lizards are natural at that."
"Where are you going with this?" Martha asked.
"Well...Curt experimented first on a rat, then himself, and both times it seemed to be a success," Carlos said, gesturing his hand as Becca pulled the blanket off a cage which housed the animal. "But...recently the rat had turned into a lizard type creature. Given that your husband gave himself this formula around the same time that this monster showed up, we believe that your husband wasn't captured by this creature, but rather is this creature."
Billy was quick to observe the rat, very amazed by what was in front of him, but also freaked out by what he saw, "Dang."
"What are you saying? That my husband turned into that lizard monster!?" Martha asked in disbelief.
"That is our belief, yes," Carlos said. "We're sorry, we know this is a lot to take in but, your husband very well may have turned into that creature."
"My dad's a lizard!?" Billy asked, the boy now in disbelief, and full of concern for his father. "So, is he stuck like that!?"
"Well no, it's possible to cure him," Carlos said. "We just need borrow his lab, make the antidote and Spider-Man will deliver the cure, fixing all our problems."
"Aside from the fact that he assaulted eighteen people, and some of them did kind of perish from it," Arturo said, earning a glare from Becca and Maria. "What? It's true!"
"Given that this formula seems to have affected his mind, it might be safe to say that Curt didn't attack those people out of evil, rather his predatory urges through the lizard transformation affected him," Lincoln said. "But, he may have to live with the regret of hurting innocent people."
"I'm afraid so," Carlos said, focusing attention back on the scientist's wife, "Martha? Will you be alright?"
Martha looked to be in a daze, unsure how all this could have happened, "I...I think so."
"I'm sorry this is happening, but rest assure that we will save your husband," Carlos said. "We just need to work fast before he hurts anyone else by mistake."
"That or before that Kraven guy kills him," Arturo said.
"Seriously!?" Maria shouted.
"Hey I'm not trying to be annoying or insensitive, I'm just pointing out fair points," Arturo said.
"He's not wrong ma'am, Kraven is hunting Doctor Connors. Which means that if we're not fast then things could get really bad for your husband," Lincoln said.
"I still want to know who's bright idea it was to bring that man here," Becca said. "Especially when superheroes are a thing."
"Well Kraven might be considered a superhero in his own right," Arturo said.
"There's nothing super about him!" Becca shouted. "Animals are nothing but trophies to him, I will never see anything grand about that fraud."
"Let's just stay focused," Carlos said. "To Curt's room."
"Wait, can I help?" Billy asked, his offer surprising a few of the adults, as well as the sole suprehero in the room.
"You want you help make a cure?" Lincoln asked.
"My goal is to be a scientist like my dad, so I've been helping as a lab assistant to practice for that," Billy said.
"It's true actually, Billy is a very intelligent young man," Carlos said. "Plus this does concern his father, it makes sense that he'd want to help."
"Well, alright, that sounds good," Lincoln said. "Alright Billy, let's get to work."
Meanwhile outside, Ronnie Anne is leading Sid and Carl toward the Connors's apartment, hoping to figure out a way to help as well.
"Lori's not gonna be happy when she finds out we snuck out," Sid said.
"I'm not worried about Lori, she's Lincoln's sister, not mine," Ronnie Anne said. "But I would feel better if I can do more than just sit around."
"Yeah, being more involved would be nice," Sid said.
"That and being able to help out Spider-Man would further prove that I am more than ready to be his sidekick," Carl said. "I just need a cool hero name, maybe Falcon Junior! I can fly into danger!"
"Why don't you fly into reality first," Ronnie Anne said. "That dream of yours ain't happening."
"Pfft, you're just jealous because he didn't ask you to be his sidekick," Carl said.
"He didn't ask you either," Ronnie Anne pointed out.
"He didn't have to. You see, guys like us just know," Carl said. "He saw that I was brimming with potential, he just didn't say anything out loud because he knew you'd be jealous."
"You're so full of crap," Ronnie Anne said. "Let's just double time it."
"Do you remember where the apartment is?" Sid asked.
"I have it on my phone," Ronnie Anne said, using a type of map. "Keep moving, it won't be long before we get there."
As they continued to walk, they heard some screaming from some nearby civilians. Lizard was scurrying through town as everyone ducked out of danger.
"Oh dang, it's that lizard guy!" Carl said as he ran off. "Every man for himself!"
"Wow, and here I thought you were sidekick material," Ronnie Anne taunted as she followed.
"I still need training! Potential means it needs to come out first!" Carl said.
"Geez, can you believe this Sid?" Ronnie Anne asked, then realized her friend wasn't next to her. "Sid!?" She turned around to see that Sid was cowering before The Lizard, too scared to move. "SID!"
"Huh?" Sid tried turning around but The Lizard grabbed her with his tail. "GAH!"
"Going somewhere?" Lizard said, now scurrying away with his hostage.
"I'm coming Sid!" Ronnie Anne rushed to save her friend, thought it was for naught as her friend slipped further away.
"Remember me!" Sid called as she got dragged away into the sewers.
"NO!" Ronnie Anne shouted in despair, tears forming in her eyes as she fell to her knees. Despite her efforts, she wasn't quick enough to rescue her friend. "Sid..."
"Ronnie Anne!" Carl shouted, running over to his cousin. "Hey you shouldn't be on the street."
"Call the cops!" Ronnie Anne shouted. "Let them know what happened to Sid!"
"Uh, yeah, sure," Carl said, dialing on his phone.
"I gotta find her!" Ronnie Anne wasted no time jumping into the sewers, determined to find her best friend.
Back at the apartment, everyone was seen in Curt's lab, looking through all of his notes and research as their plans for an antidote continued.
"Doctor Connors was quite a busy man," Arturo said, checking through his notes. "This type of dedication is very admirable."
"My dad would spend hours in his lab, be it here or back in New York," Billy said. "He's very passionate about his work, one reason he's such a respectable scientist."
"This type of dedication would benefit humanity, that lizard serum being the first of many examples why," Maria said.
"Wasn't it a failed experiment though?" Arturo asked, earning a few glares. "You know what, I'm just gonna stop talking then."
"Arturo, you can talk just read the room a bit better," Carlos said. "Of course what can I expect from the man who didn't think my sister was good enough for him."
As Lincoln rummaged through everything, he came across some notes. "What's this?" He looked through the notes, to his surprise it had to do with radioactive spiders, "Wait, this kind of looks like the spider that bit me. Was Doctor Connors working on this? Is he the reason I have powers?"
"Something catch your eye, Spider-Man?" Maria asked.
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Lincoln quickly pocketed the research.
"Aha, here's what we need," Carlos said, pulling some notes out. "This is everything he used for his formula, we should be able to work on an antidote immediately, assuming we still have the materials."
"We should, dad's great at stocking extras," Billy said.
"That's great, we should get started on it quickly," Becca said.
"Yeah, the sooner we do this, the sooner we cure Curt," Carlos said. "Then no other innocent civilian will get hurt."
"Or Doctor Connors himself," Becca said.
"Sounds like everything's under control so far," Stella said from the phone. "I'll pull up some research on my end too."
"Let's move fast," Lincoln said.
Back in the sewers, The Lizard was moving fast while still clutching Sid with his tail.
"You know, my family makes some really great baos," Sid said. "If you let me go, I can give you some."
"Be quiet," Lizard warned.
"Wow, rude much?" Sid stated. "You know, by kidnapping me, you're just gonna make Spider-Man want to beat you up more. He's kind of a buddy of mine. You might as well turn yourself in."
"Spider-Man is no match for me," Lizard said. "Soon this city will be under my grasp, perhaps I can grow my legion too, and you will be among the first."
"Oh, so you're not going to maul me," Sid said. "That's a relief."
"So long as you do not try my patience," Lizard warned, keeping a now nervous Sid very close. "I'd rather not harm a child, but my mercy has its limits. Just hope that I don't get hungry."
"If you do, think bao," Sid said.
In his annoyance, Lizard squeezed tighter, looking ready to strike when he held his head in pain, "Must...maintain...control."
"Uh, everything alright?" Sid asked. "Also, can you stop squeezing me so hard, it's kind of-"
Lizard then slammed Sid against the wall, not too hard to really injure her but hard enough to knock her out. "Her chatter has stopped...I must continue on."
From the distance, Ronnie Anne was still rummaging through the sewers. For as wet and dirty as it was, Ronnie was still determined to reach her best friend. "I won't let you get hurt Sid."
Back in Royal Woods, Lola had just come home, joined by her friends Cricket and Meli, the trio having just finished their sleepover.
"That was fun, we should do it again soon," Lola said. "Maybe when Adelaide comes back to town, we can do another sleepover at my place."
"I'd like that," Cricket said as the kids got closer to the house.
"I hope Adelaide can come," Meli said. "I'm worried about her though."
"What are you worried about?" Lola asked, though did come up with an idea. "Oh, is this about that monster?"
"Yeah, what if it hurts her?" Meli asked.
"I'm a bit worried about that too, and I definitely know Lana's really concerned," Lola said. "There isn't much we can do from here."
"We don't need to, according to the radio, Spider-Man's in Great Lakes," Cricket said. "He'll stop the monster."
"Oh, he's there huh?" Lola said, feeling a lot less enthusiastic. "Well on the bright side, maybe he'll like Great Lakes so much, he'll want to stay there."
"You don't mean that," Cricket said.
"Of course, you know I don't care about Spider-Man," Lola said. "What kind of superhero names himself after a spider?"
"I guess is a bit scary when you think about it," Meli admitted. "But he doesn't seem that scary."
"He's a human that crawls around, that's pretty scary," Lola said. "I don't know why anyone would want to be a spider themed hero in the first place."
"I know spiders are creepy but he's one of the good guys," Cricket said. "I think we should focus on that more than what type of mutant he is. I mean, he did rescue Lana and Lily when they got kidnapped."
"He saved me too," Meli said, recalling that very day.
"Fine, I'll admit he's kept those I care about safe, but...that Jameson guy did bring up a good point," Lola said. "Spider-Man comes to town and villains show up, he might have brought more danger. It could even be an act."
"Come now Lola, you're a smarter girl than this," Cricket said.
"Well it's true, I am pretty smart," Lola said, unaware that the front door to her house had opened, both Sam and Benny seemingly sneaking out and spotting the trio of girls. "But I do want to stay cautious. I have a family to think about."
"Your brother is a superhero expert, isn't he?" Cricket asked, not yet noticing the now worried teens. "What does he have to say about this?"
"He says Spider-Man's great but he's very biased towards heroes," Lola said as both Benny and Sam ran to the side fence, Sam pushing Benny over as he turned to help her up. "I get that Linky likes heroes and I'll admit that some are pretty cool. Like take Thor for instance, that guy's a dreamboat."
"Oh yeah, he's very handsome," Cricket said, blushing a bit.
"Still, Linky could do better than look up to Spider-Man," Lola said, then heard a crash behind her. "What was that?"
"Some teenagers were jumping over a fence," Meli said.
"Teenagers?" Lola asked. "Eh, not my concern, let's go girls."
"Is your brother here?" Cricket asked.
"He went camping with his friend Stella," Lola said.
"Aw..." Cricket lamented. "Too bad, he's really cute."
"Yeah, yeah, all the girls say that," Lola said. "Linky is quite the catch, that one girl Emma is very lucky to be his girlfriend."
"Think she knows Lincoln is camping with Stella?" Cricket asked as the Loud girl opened the door.
"Linky is very honest, he probably told her," Lola said. "And like a good girlfriend, she trusts him completely. Linky would never break a girl's heart."
"He's too nice for that," Meli said as the trio went inside.
As Lola led her friends inside, Sam and Benny were seen picking thorns off their bodies.
"Geez, how'd you lose your grip?" Sam scolded.
"I did my best," Benny insisted.
"Lets just hurry before Lola catches on," Sam said. "She's small but perceptive, and she could easily come back and-HEY!"
Suddenly she and Benny were both blasted with water, courtesy of Mr. Grouse, "Get off my flowers you hooligans!"
"Mr. Grouse! It's us!" Sam shouted.
"Don't know ya, now scram," Mr. Grouse said as the two made a run for it, putting distance between themselves and the grouchy neighbor. Sam was visibly annoyed at getting water sprayed on her while Benny seemed very disappointed at not being recognized.
"He doesn't know us? He came to a Moon Goats show and he came to a play that Luan and I did," Benny said, shaking off the water.
"Must be old person vision, he sees one teenager, he sees them all," Sam said, drying her shirt.
"I hope he doesn't tell the Louds we were there," Benny said, drying his pants.
"If he can't bother to remember our names, he probably doesn't even know about you dating Luan and me dating Luna," Sam said. "I wonder if Bobby ever had to put up with this."
"You think he's alright? That monster is in the city," Benny said.
"I heard Spider-Man's there too, they'll be fine," Sam said. "He can handle a monster."
"Yeah, you're right," Benny said. "Let's leave, I need to get home and change."
"Yeah, same here," Sam said, the two making their way to their respective homes.
Back at Doctor Connors's place, after some time, an antidote had been fully synthesized by the scientists present.
"There, all done," Carlos said.
"Think it'll work?" Arturo asked.
"One way to find out," Carlos said. He used part of the antidote on the mutated mouse and took a step back to see what would happen.
Within seconds, the mouse began reverting to its original form, no more signs of a lizard appearance, he was completely back to normal.
"It worked!" Carlos said. "We just need to get the cure to Curt and he should be back to normal in no time!"
"Is it enough for a human though?" Becca asked.
"Yeah, there's still no guarantee that it will work properly," Arturo said. "We don't fully know how the effects work on humans compared to animals, or how their DNA could be affected."
"I know there's no guarantee, but this has to work, for Curt's sake," Carlos said.
"I'll take it to him them," Lincoln said, grabbing the antidote. "Hopefully we really can get him cured."
"Please make sure of it," Billy said. "Bring my dad back."
"Yes, then..." Carlos's phone then began ringing, the father of four answering. "Yeah?"
"Dad! It's Carl!" Carlota said. "He said he saw that Lizard monster on the streets!"
"He what!?" Carlos asked. "He's not hurt is he?"
"No, but it took Sid!" Carlota said, Carlos's heart sinking. "What's worse is that Ronnie Anne hasn't come home, I think she went to look for the monster!"
"Did you call the police?" Carlos asked.
"Carl already did, he's locked himself in his room," Carlota said. "He looks like he's had a terrible experience."
"I don't doubt it," Carlos said. "Just stay inside, Spider-Man's going to stop that monster. He's ready to end this."
"Tell him to hurry, Adelaide wouldn't be able to take it if something bad happened to Sid, and I don't know what we'd do if Ronnie Anne got hurt too," Carlota said.
"I know, we'll get this done, please be safe," Carlos said, hanging up the phone.
"Carlos, what's wrong?" Maria asked.
"Becca...your daughter got captured by that monster," Carlos said, Becca's heart nearly stopping.
"She's been...what!?" Becca immediately dialed her daughter's number. "Pick up! Come on Sid!"
"Sup! This is Sid Chang, leave a message and-"
"NO!" Becca shouted in worry as she made her way out the room. "Hang on Sid! Your mom's coming!"
"Becca don't!" Carlos shouted in vain as the mother of two was already long gone. "Ugh, this needs to end fast."
"This is terrible," Maria said, feeling for Becca. "Wait, was Sid with Ronnie Anne when this happened?"
"Sounds like it, Ronnie Anne went after the Lizard," Carlos said.
"She did what!?" Maria shouted.
"Now, let's try to remain civil, Maria," Arturo said. "You go and find some policemen. I need to ask Billy here something."
"Me? What do you need sir?" Billy asked.
"Oh I was just wondering if you had a baseball bat," Arturo said, slamming his fists together. "I'm going to need it to bash that monster's skull in!"
Wasting no time, Arturo went to find any blunt object he could find while Billy went after him, "Sir wait! It's dangerous!"
"My daughter is in danger, I will fight that beast bare handed if I must!" Arturo said, ready to run into battle. "No one endangers my niñita!"
"Lincoln, now might be a good time to hurry," Stella urgently said.
"Right," Lincoln went to the window with the antidote. "I will take this to Doctor Connors, try to maintain control here."
"Hurry!" Carlos pleaded.
"You got it," Lincoln said, diving down and swinging, keeping an eye out for the monster. "Stella, see if you can find information on where Doctor Connors is heading on your end."
"You got it," Stella said, searching through her laptop to find any information that she could. "Say, Lincoln...what do you make of what Carlota said?"
"Is this really the time to be asking?" Lincoln asked.
"I know it's sudden but...what Carlota said about me is just so weird," Stella said. "I mean Carl was weird too, can't tell if I should find his crush on me flattering or weird. He's still kind of bratty and with a very out of style haircut."
"I wouldn't take Carl seriously, he speaks more than he can back up," Lincoln said.
"Well what about Carlota?" Stella asked.
"What about her? Is it because she said you had a crush on me and didn't know it?" Lincoln asked.
"Kind of. I mean, what part of me gives off that vibe?" Stella asked. "I mean...don't take this the wrong way, you know we're friends and I do care about you but-"
"You just want to stay friends, that's fine," Lincoln said. "Carlota is just talking crazy, I mean she says that Ronnie Anne is in love with me too, doesn't mean she is. Her whole family just wants to ship us for some reason."
"Well you are a nice boy, it makes sense that they'd want you two to hook up," Stella said. "That is if Sid or Adelaide don't get to you first."
"I like them but I can't see myself with Sid, and I haven't even entertained the idea of Adelaide," Lincoln said. "Besides, I have Emma."
"How are things going with you two?" Stella asked.
"Well..." Before Lincoln could answer, he noticed Curt crawling around, still holding on to Sid as he scurried through the streets. "Talk later, Lizard spotted!"
Lizard continued crawling around, people running away at the sight of the monster, not wanting to be anywhere near it as he continued to hold the unconscious Sid.
"Gonna be hard to fight him with Sid there, gotta try another tactic," Lincoln swung in and landed before the monster. "That's far enough!"
"You again..." Lizard said, menacingly stomping toward Lincoln. "Still haven't learned your lesson? That's fine, I can destroy you right now. My powers have only been growing, and I could use a test dummy to try them out on."
"First off, I'm no dummy, I was able to figure out who you really are," Lincoln said. "You're Doctor Connors!"
Lizard's eyes widened in surprise for a brief second, before curling his mouth into a smile, "So, you know who I am then? Clever little boy."
"Little? I'm thir...I mean, I'm not little!" Lincoln shouted.
"It doesn't matter much if you know who I am, that won't help you defeat me," Lizard said.
"I'm not here to fight, I'm here to talk," Lincoln said. "Sir, you have to stop this rampage of yours, you're hurting innocent people."
"I fail to see how that's my problem, they were merely in my way," Lizard said.
"In your way? You hunted them down!" Lincoln said.
"Alright, maybe I had a few violent urges, I was still figuring these powers out," Lizard said. "It's the law of nature, the strong always overpower the weak. This form allows me to reign dominance over those beneath me."
"So that's what this is about? Hurting others to make yourself seem powerful?" Lincoln asked. "That just makes you a bully, nothing like the Doctor Connors everyone knows."
"You may believe what you wish, in the end it makes no difference," Lizard said. "Honestly though, I don't know why we must quarrel. You and I aren't too different after all. You are an evolved human just like I am, why fight to protect these lower forms when you can rule over them? Or better yet, improve them."
"What, like mutate all these people?" Lincoln asked.
"Sure, of course," Lizard said, the villain extending his arms. "After all, it's the most generous thing to do. Humans are such weak and fragile creatures after all, saving them means nothing if they'll eventually fall into their own self destruction."
"Kind of underselling humans there, we're not perfect but we manage just fine," Lincoln said. "You yourself were only human when you made the serum that turned you into this, isn't that impressive enough for you?"
"Still naive, tell me, you think you could even stand against me if you were a mere human?" Lizard asked. "I doubt you could even last a minute without-"
Suddenly an arrow pieced his shoulder, both Lizard and Lincoln turning to see that Kraven was on his way. "This ends Lizard man!"
"Kraven!?" Lincoln asked.
The hunter leapt into the air, holding out his sword and trying to impale the monster, with Lizard leaping out of the way, still holding onto Sid.
"Hey be careful! There's a kid with him!" Lincoln warned.
"I will not fall for such a trap!" Kraven shouted, running to attack again.
"What trap!?" Lincoln said as Kraven brought his swords out and resumed his attack. "Are you kidding me right now!?"
Kraven maliciously swung his swords at The Lizard, his opponent swiftly dodging and still holding onto Sid. Kraven reeled back and plunged both swords into his opponent's chest, causing the Lizard to lose his grip on Sid, dropping the girl to the ground as she slowly started to regain consciousness. "Is it time for school yet?"
This gave Lincoln a chance to speed in and bring Sid to safety by placing her against a wall next to a building, "Stay here."
"Spider-Man?" Sid asked, trying to recognize him.
Lincoln turned his attention to the fight, glaring at Kraven for acting this reckless, "That guy's a jerk!"
"Lincoln, what's happening?" Stella asked.
"Kraven showed up and attacked Doctor Connors, he endangered Sid in the process," Lincoln explained as he made his way to the fight. "I gotta end this!"
The battle continued, Kraven bringing out a dagger to attack with, but Lizard knocked the blade from his hand and punched the hunter to the ground. He picked him up by the tail and aggressively flung him against a building wall, Lizard rushing in to punch the hunter through for good measure.
"Stay down you," Lizard warned as Lincoln crept up behind him. He then lunged to apply the Antidote, but Lizard whacked him back, knocking the boy against a car and dropping the serum. "Nice try."
Lincoln brought himself back up, frantically looking around, "Where's the antidote!? I just-"
Lizard rushed in and kicked the boy aside, sending him bouncing down the streets. He scurried after him, but Lincoln managed to web his face and go for a few punches and knocked Connors into the air and landing on top of a fire escape.
Lincoln then crawled up and leapt to attack again but Lizard recovered and managed to grab Lincoln, throwing him through the window, startling the family inside. Lizard went to pursue but the hero was quick to roll onto his feet and kick his enemy back outside the window.
"Sorry about the mess," Lincoln said to the family and jumped out the window.
While this was happening, a now nearly out of breath Ronnie Anne had finally caught up, having wrapped her hoodie around her waist to reduce how hot she felt when she noticed her friend on the ground nearby. "Sid!"
The girl was still a bit dazed, but did notice her friend, "Was that Ronnie Anne?"
"Sid! You're alright!" Ronnie Anne said, grabbing her friend into a hug. "I'm so relieved."
"Oh Ronnie, it is you, cool," Sid said, then smelt something off. "Ugh, you stink, were you at the dump or something?"
"Actually I was crawling through the sewers," Ronnie Anne explained. "That lizard monster captured you so I gave chase. Looks like Spider-Man found him and is trying to beat him up."
"Oh yeah, good old Spidey," Sid said, rubbing her head. "Man, I must have took a really bad bump, I don't really remember much of what's happened."
"You'll be fine, for now let Spider-Man handle this," Ronnie Anne said, gently rubbing Sid's head.
"I think he was trying something, it had to do with some weird serum he had," Sid said. "I don't know what it does though."
"Serum?" Ronnie Anne asked, realizing something. "Wait, could it be the antidote he, my parents, my uncle and your mom tried to make?"
"I think so..." Sid said. "He dropped it though, so he might have a hard time curing him."
"Stay here," Ronnie Anne said, heading toward some of the battle-damaged area. "I gotta see if that thing's around and get it to Spidey."
Meanwhile Lincoln was still actively dodging the Lizard's strikes while keeping an eye on the ground, "Where's that dang serum!?" Lizard then grabbed a nearby car and attempted to slam in on the hero, to which his senses alerted him and he leapt back. "Geez, this guy's aggressive!"
"I will not let you stand in the way of my goals!" Lizard shouted.
"Doctor Connors, you need to get a hold of yourself!" Lincoln shouted. "This isn't you! You're not this monster! You're a scientist! You help people!"
Lizard seemed momentarily conflicted, but he did not let it last, "I will not let you deceive me!" He tried attacking with his tail, Lincoln backflipping out of the way. "I have worked too hard to throw everything away now."
"If you continue your goals, you will end up throwing away everything important!" Lincoln said, jumping in to kick the monster against a pole. "What about your friends and colleagues?"
"What about them?" Lizard said, standing back up. "Just a bunch of wannabe scientists, they couldn't come close to what I have achieved!"
"Well what about your fans? Those who look up to you?" Lincoln asked. "I know at least one girl who thinks you're an amazing scientist! She'd be devastated to see you like this!"
"On the contrary, she may choose to follow my example, shed herself of her worthless humanity and become something greater," Lizard said.
"I don't think so," Stella said over the phone.
"But sir!" Lincoln continued to plead. "Is this really what you want to do!?"
"Enough of your pitiful stalling!" Lizard lunged to attack, but Lincoln managed to hold the monster back.
"This isn't about stalling, or any type of deception, I just want to help you!" Lincoln insisted, still holding the monster away. "Please, think of your wife and son! How they must feel knowing this is happening!"
Again Lizard felt confliction, what's left of Connors actively trying to fight back, "This must not continue! I will have control!"
Lizard shook it off, "Doctor Connors is the name of a weakling! I am superior in every way! It is I who will rule at the top! Once I transform this race, they will see me as a God! All the while you will be crushed like the spider you are!"
"He ain't the one getting crushed!" Ronnie Anne shouted as she slammed the injector serum into Lizard's exposed arm.
"What!? No!" Lizard went to attack Ronnie Anne but Lincoln managed to kick him away. Within seconds Lizard began going through his reverse metamorphosis. "This cannot be!"
Despite his initial, he slowly but surely started reverting into the human Doctor Connors, the man falling knees first on the ground, wearing nothing but a tattered lab coat and some shorts.
"It worked!" Lincoln said. "He's back to normal!"
"Ugh, wh-where am I?" Connors asked, looking around in confusion. "How did I...?"
"Doctor Connors!" Ronnie Anne called, running toward the man. "Hey are you alright?"
"Who...oh, you're Carlos's niece, Ronalda," Curt said.
"It's Ronnie Anne dude, only my mom calls me 'Ronalda'," Ronnie Anne said.
"Doctor Connors!" Sid said, rushing over.
"Oh, you're Sidney," Curt said.
"Just 'Sid' is fine," the girl insisted.
"What's going on? What happened?" Curt asked, still looking around in confusion.
"Well...it's kind of weird when you think about it..." Ronnie Anne said.
"Sir," Lincoln said, walking over to the scientist. "First off, I'm glad you're back to normal."
"Spider-Man...wait you're in town?" Curt said, trying to recall his memories.
"Yes, I came to town to stop a dangerous monster," Lincoln said. "That being you."
"Me?" Curt asked, before certain memories returned. "Wait, my serum...it had weird affects didn't it?"
"I'm afraid so," Lincoln said. "You took on a dangerous form and became a Lizard monster."
"Yes...I have vague memories of that," Curt said. "I don't know what came over me, I felt like a wild animal searching for prey. Those people...I remember attacking them, I tried to stop...I didn't want to hurt anyone, but my instincts overpowered me."
"You did attack people...and I'm afraid a few of them did not survive their injuries," Lincoln confirmed.
Curt's eyes dilated, the reality dawning on him, the fact that he's done terrible things in his monster form, things he wishes he could undo, "Oh God...what have I done?"
"It's not your fault, it's that Lizard's fault," Sid said.
"All those people though, it was because of me, because of my failed experiment," Curt said, the man very shaken up and on the verge of tears. "All I wanted was to regrow my lost hand...how did it get this far?"
"Sir, don't worry, we'll figure this out," Lincoln said. "For now, I think you should go home. Your wife and son are worried."
"How can I even face them after all the terrible atrocities I've committed," Curt lamented. "I can't look at them the same again."
"They're your family, they love you and want to be there for you," Lincoln said. "I know you made a very big mistake, but it's not too late to make things right. Start at home first."
"Of course..." Curt said, then turned her attention to Sid. "I recall kidnapping you, and threatening to turn you into a monster as well. I am very sorry for startling you like that."
"It's cool, things happen," Sid said.
"Well that's one way to put it," Ronnie Anne said.
"Come on, let's..." Lincoln noticed Kraven having gotten back up, the man looking irate.
"Where is that monster!?" Kraven shouted.
"He's dealt with, no thanks to you," Lincoln said. "You were really reckless today."
"How dare you, I should-" Kraven then picked up a scent. "Wait a minute...that familiar smell," he turned his attention to Curt, "Those tattered clothes. It's you isn't it? You're that lizard creature I was battling/"
"It's cool dude, he's cured," Ronnie Anne said.
"Ronnie, you could have at least tried bluffing," Sid said. "Not sure if Connors wants that secret out right now."
"Well, do you wanna bluff around a man holding two swords?" Ronnie Anne asked, gesturing to the very intimidating warrior.
"Perhaps this hunt is not over," Kraven said, aiming his blade at The Lizard. "I shall reclaim my lost honor by striking you down!"
"Are you nuts!?" Lincoln shouted, standing in front of Curt. "This isn't a monster, it's a human being!"
"After all he's done, he deserves death at my blades," Kraven said. "I will not let this mockery of me pass by."
"Wow, some hero you turned out to be, right now you're acting like the real villain here," Ronnie Anne said.
"Be quiet, no one asked your input, child," Kraven warned.
"I can see why my mom hates this guy," Sid said.
"Look you, if you want Doctor Connors, you're gonna have to go through me," Lincoln warned.
Kraven looked ready to strike regardless, but heard the sound of sirens, several police cars, ambulances and even firetrucks pulled all around.
Out from one of the cop cars was Becca, Stanley and Adelaide, the group excitedly running towards the oldest Chang child.
"Sid! You're safe!" Becca said, hugging her daughter.
"Oh what a relief," Stanley said, hugging as well.
"After what happened to my animals, I'm so glad I didn't lose my sister too!" Adelaide said, joining on the group hug.
"Heh, I feel so loved," Sid commented.
Maria and Arturo also stepped out of a car, running over to check on Ronnie Anne, along with the other members of the Casagrande Family.
"Oh good, she's safe," Carlota said in relief.
"Of course she's safe, Spider-Man was here," Carl said.
"Cool, wonder if I can get an interview, that should beat out Cindy," Carlota said.
"Not the time," Carlos said, much to Carlota's annoyance.
Bobby looked relieved as well, "So glad that Ronnie Anne's alright, and Sid too."
"They really lucked out," Lori said.
"Well my sister's tough, brave too if she went after that monster," Bobby said.
"Ronalda, you're not hurt are you?" Maria asked.
"No, but Doctor Connors looks pretty bad," Ronnie Anne said.
"Connors?" Arturo said. "So, the plan must have worked! He's saved!"
"Thanks to Spider-Man," Sid said.
"No thanks to this guy here," Ronnie Anne said, gesturing to Kraven.
"Ugh, you," Becca said. "The one who sees animals as trophies instead of living creatures."
"You should be thanking me, I fought against that monster, with the scars to prove it," Kraven said.
"You also attacked the monster while this young girl was in his grasp," Lincoln said, gesturing to Sid. "You were willing to sacrifice her life just to claim your so-called Trophy."
"He did WHAT!?" Becca shouted, glaring at Kraven. "You endangered my daughter!? You big brute!"
"Watch your tone around me, woman," Kraven warned. "I am still the mighty and honorable hunter, Kraven!"
"You were willing to cross a few lines to get what you wanted," Lincoln said. "You're not honorable, you're a disgrace."
"I'll show you!" Kraven lunged to attack but Lincoln parried and hit an uppercut on the hunter, sending him flying overhead and onto a car. Rather than continue to fight, Kraven opted to make his retreat, "This isn't over, Spider-Man! Ya odoleyu tebya!"
"Uh...anyone speak Russian?" Lincoln asked, getting a lot of 'no's'.
"Good riddance to you, ya jerk!" Sid shouted in Kraven's direction.
"I gotta say, he might be a jerk, but he can really take a hit," Ronnie Anne said. "Is he even human himself?"
"Maybe he's a mutant, he did mention smell," Sid said. "Plus he's done some really gnarly stuff when hunting animals in Africa."
"Well, I'd watch your back then, Spider-Man," Ronnie Anne said. "You might have found yourself a new rival."
"Just what I needed," Lincoln lamented.
"Lets get you kids home," Maria said. "We'll take it from here, Spider-Man."
"Thanks, I guess with The Lizard defeated, I should head back to Royal Woods," Lincoln said.
"We appreciate you coming out here," Maria said.
"Yes, I know Royal Woods is not a quick trip," Carlos said. "Your assistance is very appreciated."
"How'd you get here anyway? Do you have your own superhero vehicle?" Carl asked.
"Normally, yes, but right now it's at a superhero repair shop," Lincoln sarcastically replied. "But seriously, I'll be taking the bus back to Royal Woods."
"Oh don't do that, I can drive you," Rosa said.
"I can't ask you to do that," Lincoln said.
"Nonsense, it's the least I can do after you saved my granddaughter and her friend," Rosa said. "Not to mention that thanks to you, no one else will get hurt."
"For now, I mean another villain could show up," Arturo said, earning some glares. "Pardon me for pointing out the potential dangers!"
"If that does happen, I'll be back to keep this city safe," Lincoln said. "I'll protect any city that needs a superhero."
"That's so cool," Sid said.
"If you help me get superpowers, I can be your sidekick," Carl said.
"I'm good, thanks," Lincoln said.
"I think for now everyone should get home," Maria said. "Arturo and I will stay behind and assist anyway possible."
"I'm going to check on my zoo, just to make sure the animals are safe," Becca said.
"I should call my family, let them know the lizard situation was dealt with," Lori said, grabbing her phone.
"I need to go home and relax, I'm pretty exhausted," Sid said.
"Hold on Sid, I'm glad you're safe but you got into this situation because you snuck away," Stanley said.
"As did you, Ronnie Anne," Carlos said. "On top of that you intentionally went after that lizard."
"I had to, Sid needed me," Ronnie Anne said.
"We can't fault you for wanting to protect Sid, it's sweet how much you care about her," Maria said. "But to what my brother and Stanley said, you still snuck away from Lori and Bobby."
"Yeah sis, you had me worried," Bobby said.
"So does this mean I'm grounded?" Ronnie Anne asked.
"We'll discuss it later," Maria said. "Right now, I would rather you kids get back while mami drives Spider-Man home."
"Oh, abuela, when you drive Spider-Man, can I come?" Carl asked.
"No Carl, you're staying home," Rosa said.
"Aw, but I want to hang out with him," Carl said. "I still need his advice on how to get superpowers."
"No superpowers for you, niño," Rosa said. "Get yourself home, right now."
"Dang..." Carl said.
"I'll meet you at your apartment building later Mrs. Casagrande, I want to do one quick survey of the city to make sure there isn't any lingering chaos," Lincoln said, immediately thwipping away.
"Such a diligent boy," Rosa said.
Not too far off, an angry Kraven was recollecting himself, and glancing back toward the crowd, "Damn spider, he ruined my hunt. With that lizard turned back into a human, I doubt I will have another chance to hunt it again. This will not be good for my image; I must find a way to reassert my dominance to the world. Perhaps next time, I should focus less on reptiles, and more on arachnids. Defeating Spider-Man will restore my lost honor."
Lincoln did a quick sweep of the city, landing on a streetlight, ensuring that there was no crime happening. He spotted some people trying to steal some stuff from a store that got damaged by the lizard rummaging through the city, and other situations where people were in danger, but thus far, nothing too bad.
"Guess the city is a bit safer than Royal Woods, though that could change given how much Royal Woods changed," Lincoln said. "But Great Lakes seems safe for now."
"You did a great job out there," Stella said. "You defeated The Lizard, saved Doctor Connors and you drove away Kraven. Very successful venture into Great Lakes."
"Swinging around this city is kind of fun," Lincoln said. "But I do love Royal Woods, it's my home after all."
"Yeah, I get it, it's a nice town," Stella said. "I'm really glad I moved here, especially since I got to meet you."
"Wow, that was sentimental," Lincoln said. "Are you getting sappy on me, Stella Zhau?"
"You wish, Lincoln Loud," Stella said. "But for real, you're a great friend, and I'm happy that I'm friends with a superhero too, even happier that I get to be by your side."
"I will admit, having someone to talk to about my powers, and all the stuff I deal with, it's a strong relief," Lincoln said. "I'm used to kind of bottling up my emotions, at my house emotions can be a sigh of weakness at times. You gotta be tough living with ten sisters, nothing I can't handle it it's not easy."
"Bottling up emotions isn't a smart move though, even if I understand where you're coming from," Stella said.
"Well if things really get complicated, I usually talk to Clyde, he knows how to get me to see the bright side of a situation," Lincoln said.
"Speaking of Clyde, have you thought more about telling him that you're Spider-Man?" Stella asked.
"I really want to, I don't like keeping this secret from him," Lincoln said. "But, I don't want to burden him with the truth. Plus I'm worried that even if he can keep the secret, that he'd want to be my sidekick."
"Yeah, you get enough of that from Carl," Stella said. "Still, he might find out one day."
"Yeah, I know, and I'll figure things out when it happens," Lincoln said. "For now, I'd rather he stay out of danger."
"What about Emma? You're not telling her either?" Stella asked.
"I'd rather hold off on that too, even if we do end up dating for a long time," Lincoln said. "I'd rather she be completely comfortable with me as Lincoln before she gets to know Spidey."
"What about Paige and Christina?" Stella asked. "Paige is obviously good at keeping secrets since she kept Christina's, and Christina has superpowers."
"That might make more sense," Lincoln said. "If Christina wants to be my sidekick, at least she can hold her own. So I just might tell her at least, if to at least make her feel less alone. I know Paige is a good friend to her but I know how strange it can be thinking you're the only one with powers."
"Well, I don't think you're strange, if anything you're superior to us," Stella said.
"I don't want to see myself that way, otherwise I'd be proving The Lizard's point," Lincoln said. "Worse yet, I might end up like Kraven."
"You will never be like any of them," Stella said.
"I hope so," Lincoln said, about to swing away. "I should go see Mrs. Casagrande then, get that ride home."
As he swung away, a woman with red hair, who had been listening in on everything in a secluded hiding space, grabbed a radio, "This is Black Widow, patch me through to Nick Fury. I have some information that he might find interesting."
Things were slowly getting back to normal, Curt was taken to the hospital where he reunited with his wife and son. Still feeling guilty, he opted to go through therapy to help him come to terms with what has happened, and resolved to make amends for his wrong doings by thinking of ways to aid those he hurt.
Rosa had begun driving Lincoln home, it would be a long trip but Lincoln took the moment to get some rest in the car while Stella back home just waited for the arrival of her friend, all while sending a text message to her parents about how much she's enjoying what she called her camping trip.
Word did reach out, beyond Great Lakes and into Royal Woods, how Spider-Man defeated The Lizard and upstaged Kraven the Hunter. New York especially got wind of this, especially within S.H.I.E.L.D. It wouldn't be long before Spider-Man was fully on their radar, and the curiosity of Fury was not to be underestimated.
However, they were not the only ones keeping an eye on things. In a lab in New York, the scientist Miles Warren had also learned about what happened, and his curiosity piqued.
He checked out some footage of Lincoln's battle against The Lizard from Great Lakes, making interesting observations.
"Something about his abilities matches those experimental spiders that got loose in Great Lakes," Warren said. "I wonder, could this boy have been infected with one of those spiders? I may need a DNA sample." He turned to a list of phone numbers, "Who shall I send to fetch it for me?"
Lincoln had another villain defeated, but there would always be more to come.